SA Rugby on Friday announced a “very satisfactory” operating result for the year ended 31 December 2015, with a group pre-tax surplus of R33.3 million, significantly higher than the R2.9 million achieved in the previous financial year.

The result was due to a combination of improved revenues and a measure of cost savings, said Jurie Roux, Chief Executive Officer.

“In a very difficult economic environment, we consider this a very satisfactory operating result, which was well above budget,” said Roux. “Group revenue rose to close to R1bn (R967m), 18% up from the 2014 level (R820m), due mainly to our share of the new revenue stream from SA Rugby Travel.

With the extended Easter holiday break kicking off today, the City’s Safety and Security Directorate is replicating many of its festive season interventions to keep locals and visitors safe. Read more below:

The City of Cape Town’s enforcement agencies are squaring up for a busy period, with schools closing today and back-to-back long weekends, including Easter.

The agencies will implement some of the aspects of the festive season enforcement plan, which includes a sharpened focus on drunk driving and other traffic transgressions, patrols along major routes like the N2, safeguarding beaches and other public areas, and doing duty at the many events that take place over this period. Continue reading →

THE key question in our national debate seems to be shifting from whether President Jacob Zuma should go, to who should succeed him when he does.

In my previous column, I suggested the issue appeared to have boiled down to a choice between Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and Zuma’s former wife, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

But now the name of Kgalema Motlanthe has resurfaced, apparently favoured by the Gauteng branch of the African National Congress (ANC).

It is an intriguing development, for three years ago, Motlanthe ran against Zuma for the ANC presidency. Had the ANC voted for him then, he would have been president of the country now and we wouldn’t be in the mess we find ourselves.

By the time that choice was made, Zuma had already revealed his incompetence and his corruption, while Motlanthe had shown himself capable of healing the country as stand-in president after the clumsy recalling of former president Thabo Mbeki.

Western Cape Government Health Emergency Medical and Rescue Services have safely and successfully retrieved the female hang glider from where she was suspended by her hang gliding gear close to Platteklip Gorge on Table Mounted. The rescue took four hours and several rescue crews who abseiled from higher up the mountain to reach the patient. Apart from being severely dehydrated she has no serious injuries. Emergency Medical Services urges all adventure seekers to remain very well hydrated by drinking enough water irrespective of the activity you participate in be it hiking, climbing or simply hanging from a cliff for several hours.

South Africa’s six Vodacom Super Rugby franchises face an important weekend as they look to build momentum in the series with two local derbies and repeat of last year’s playoff match between the DHL Stormers and Brumbies playing out at home, while the Southern Kings begin their overseas tour.

The Vodacom Bulls and Cell C Sharks will kick off the weekend’s action on Friday evening with an exciting derby in Pretoria, and on Saturday the Southern Kings face the Crusaders in Christchurch, the Emirates Lions meet their former Vodacom Super Rugby franchise partners, the Toyota Cheetahs, in Johannesburg, and the DHL Stormers go up against the Brumbies in Cape Town.

While the Cell C Sharks will be determined to stretch their unbeaten run in the competition to seven matches dating back to last season, the Vodacom Bulls will have their sights set on back-to-back home wins to build momentum after defeating the Rebels two weeks ago. Continue reading →

The City of Cape Town, the Western Cape Government (WCG), and property management company Garden Cities today, 17 March 2016, handed over the first four completed units of what is regarded as a catalytic human settlements project for the Fisantekraal area, near Durbanville. Read more below:

The first phase of this approximately R294 million project, which is built on a public and private sector partnership, comprises 868 subsidised housing units. It is earmarked for completion by the end of 2017.

The following speech was delivered by the City’s Executive Mayor, Patricia de Lille, at the opening of the R78 million Kuyasa Regional Library in Khayelitsha with donors, the Carnegie Corporation, today 17 March 2016. Read more below:

Good afternoon, goeie dag, molweni, as-salaam alaikum, shalom.

It gives me great pleasure to address you all on this wonderful occasion for the City of Cape Town, our generous donors, and most importantly for the community. Continue reading →

An adult female hang glider is suspended from a cliff 150 meters to the left of Platteklip Gorge since 11:30 this morning. Exactly how she got into her predicament is yet unknown, but she appears to be in good health without any serious injuries. Several rescue unit from Western Cape Government Health Emergency Medical services are currently absailing down from a higher position to reach the patient who appears to have become entagled in her own base jumping gear.